The Only One For Me
by Ira e Invidia
Summary: Soulmates can only be discovered through physical touch and both Steve Rogers and Anthony Stark have given up on finding their bonded. But that's before they meet, before Tony decides to put his hand on Steve's shoulder. Fury probably didn't see this coming when he assembled the avengers for the first time.


**A/N: So this was supposed to be a drabble...my bad. But hey, you guys get more! Also, I know some of the movie lines are wrong, but I tweaked them to better fit my story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Avengers.**

* * *

Steve never thought he would find his bond. He used to hope and search fervently before he became busy with the war. When he had met Peggy he'd desperately prayed she was the one, and was devastated when no spark came after they touched hands for the first time. Steve remembered once when he was a child asking his mother why they couldn't have some clue as to who their bond was. She had just smiled sadly and told him love wasn't easy, and that he just had to keep shaking hands with anyone he met. Being young at the time, Steve had simply accepted the answer and moved on.

Tony -despite what everyone said- actually did want to find his soulmate. The tabloids and media always twisted it into him not wanting to because then he wouldn't be able to continue his playboy tendencies. The thing they didn't consider was that that was why he became a playboy; to find his bond. Eventually though Tony just gave up, he had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars trying to find his soulmate; eagerly grasping every hand available. So he settled down, finding comfort in Pepper -who hadn't found her bond either.

Then Loki threatened earth, and the Avengers were assembled for the first time.

* * *

"Mr. Stark."

"Captain."

Steve glanced at Iron Man out of the corner of his eye, trying to get a read on the person inside. The blank expression of the suit remained a steadfast annoyance, but Steve shoved it aside and assumed a professional manner. There was something about that guy...

* * *

Tony groaned and rolled his shoulders as he stepped away from the suit, snagging his phone and heading up to meet the others. He arrived and immediately reached out to pat Thor on the arm -an impulse born more out of habit than actual hope- and crushed the slight sting of disappointment that accompanied the lack of reaction to the touch. "No hard feelings Point Break, you've got a mean swing."

He turned and smiled at an emotionless Natasha before moving over to shake Bruce's hand. "Doctor Banner, it's a pleasure to meet you." Tony didn't miss the sympathy in the other's eyes when he pulled away -he knew, how did he know?- but he simply pulled on a press smile and quickly walked away.

* * *

They were fighting pointlessly, Steve knew this, but he couldn't manage to make himself stop. Why was he so irrationally annoyed? He shouldn't be this angry. Then Stark reached out and touched his shoulder, and a spark ignited deep within him. His eyes widened and he turned to stare dumbfounded at the other man. After all this time? He finally found his bond after all these years.

Stark -no, Tony- mirrored his shock. Steve opened his mouth to say something -the room was silent, how long had they been staring at each other for?- when an explosion shook the Helicarrier. Steve fell to the ground but quickly regained his bearings and and stood up, immediately reaching out to place supporting hands around Tony's waist. "Put on the suit."

* * *

Tony stepped out of the -now ruined- suit for the second time that day. He simply stood there for a moment, adrenaline still racing through his system. The door swished open and he looked up, not entirely surprised to find Steve there. "What's up Cap?" The soldier walked towards him with determined strides, getting into his personal space and framing his face with both hands. The touch sent more sparks down their spines, and both men shuddered.

"Hi," Steve breathed.

"Hi," Tony echoed.

"I found you," the captain's voice was choked with emotion, his thumbs rubbing gently over Tony's cheekbones.

"Yeah," the smaller man confirmed, warmth blooming in his chest, "you did." With that, Tony felt himself pulled into a kiss, and he pressed against the other's solid form, hands tangling happily in Steve's hair. Steve moved to wrap his arms around Tony's waist, pulling him in so there was barely a centimetre between them. The billionaire eagerly parted his lips for Steve's prodding tongue and sighed contentedly when it slid against his own. They pulled apart after a while, Steve tilting his head down to rest his forehead against his bond's.

"We should go," said the soldier, making it sound like it was the last thing he wanted to do, "the others are waiting for us. Fury said he had some big news."

Tony sighed in frustration, "Do you want to do it now then? Or wait till later?"

"Maybe when we aren't in a rush and on the verge of war?" Steve replied in slight amusement. He got a snort for his troubles. "Come on." The captain untangled himself from his soulmate, keeping one arm around his waist as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Tony let himself be led upstairs to the meeting room, relishing in the contact with his bond. Finally, after all this time -the sleepless nights and weeks spent drunk and searching- he'd found his soulmate, his missing half. And he was Captain America to boot. Oh Pepper was gonna get a kick out of this one. Pepper...Tony felt his heart skip a beat, what was he supposed to tell her? He was sure she would understand, but he didn't want to put her through more heartbreak, he had caused her enough hurt.

Steve felt his bond tense minutely and frowned, unconsciously pulling him tighter to his side and grasping at his hip in a possessive manner. This earned him a raised eyebrow from Tony -who was obviously trying to pretend nothing was wrong- and he smiled sheepishly. The captain opened his mouth to ask what was wrong but cut himself off when he realized they had already arrived at their destination. A quick exchange of looks with Tony and both men silently agreed to keep their discovery a secret, at least for now. Steve didn't know what they were trying to accomplish -no doubt Fury and Natasha and pretty much everyone knew that they were soulmates, what with the long awkward silence before the explosion.

* * *

Tony heard footsteps behind him but didn't turn around. He just kept gazing blankly at the place where a cage had been less than an hour ago. Now Thor was gone and Bruce was gone and Loki was gone and Coulson- Tony cut himself off there, swallowing down the lump in his throat. Two strong arms embraced him from behind, dragging him back into a well sculpted chest. Steve rested his chin on Tony's shoulder, gently rocking him back and forth. "Did he have family?"

"There was a, uh, cellist I think," the billionaire croaked, clearing his throat and letting exhaustion -both mental and physical- take over him. His body relaxed of its own accord, slumping into the warmth of Steve. His bond cooed softly into his ear, sweet reassurances that surprisingly worked. Tony sighed, twisting around to reciprocate the hug, burying his face into the crook of Steve's neck while the other softly stroked his hair. The genius absently pondered the mechanics behind why he was calming down -comfort and touch had never worked to help him before- and finally just summed it up to being another aspect of the bond. Which, he remembered, was not yet complete. "Would now be a good time?" he asked hopefully, wanting the full presence and peace of having Steve with him at all times.

The captain chuckled into his hair, "Sure, why not?" He took a step back, lacing his hands with Tony's and reaching out for him with his mind. He focused solely on the other; his hair, his smell, his hands, the sound of his heartbeat. A tugging sensation came from his gut when he found the other, and both men watched in fascination and awe as golden strands of light came from their wrists. The strands weaved towards each other, connecting seamlessly when they met. A moment later the golden threads faded and something shifted in Steve's mind. It felt like a door had opened, releasing a flood of emotions and thoughts into him that weren't his own. Steve rested one hand against Tony's chest, feeling the heartbeat that now matched his own.

"Wow," the smaller man whispered.

"The great Tony Stark speechless?" Steve teased, finally experiencing the aching sadness his bonded felt from the loss in battle. He shook away his own special sadness, now was not the time. Tony needed him, he had to be strong.

The billionaire tried for a smile that came out as a grimace. He could feel that Steve was hurting too, which caused something to twist up in him. That wasn't right, Steve should never have to feel pain like that. Tony closed the distance between them again, giving a comforting kiss to his soulmate. "He made it personal," he murmured, knowing Steve knew exactly what he was talking about.

"That's not the point," the captain chided gently, moving to press small kisses along Tony's jaw.

"That is the point!" The genius insisted, titling his head back to give his bonded better access. "He wanted to strike us where we live -why?"

Steve shrugged, _Break us up._ He mentally sent the message to Tony, testing out their new connection.

The other gasped slightly in surprise before quickly formulating his response, _Yeah divide and conquer is great but, Loki knows he has to take us out to win right? And he wants an audience for it._

"Yeah," Steve said thoughtfully, absently running a hand up and down his bonded's back, "I caught his act in Stuttgart."

"That was just previews this is -this is opening night. And Loki, he's a full tail diva, he wants lights, he wants parades, he wants-"

"-a monument built to the sky with his name plastered on it," Steve finished for him.

They stared at each other for a minute before Tony grouched, _Son of a bitch._ Together the two made their way out of the empty room.

* * *

"You know that's a one way trip Stark," the captain spoke into the com. _Tony please..._

_I'm so sorry Steve. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry._ the genius felt a spike of hurt from his bonded lance through him as Steve realized he couldn't change his mind. _I love you. I do,_ Tony sent frantically, _I know we haven't known each other for very long but I've never been more honest about anything in my entire life._ With that he went through the portal.

_Tony..._

"Shall I try miss Potts?" Jarvis asked suddenly.

"Yeah sure, why not?" If these were his last few moments he wanted Pepper to know damn well how much she meant to him, even if Steve had stolen his heart. Tony let go of the missile, the throbbing pain and desperation he got from Steve through the bond soothing him slightly; he wasn't alone. The last thing he saw was an explosion and a 'call failed' notification below Pepper's image. He blacked out to the sound of Steve screaming his name in terror.

* * *

Steve couldn't speak. He couldn't think. He just stood there and watched helplessly for any sign of Tony. "Close it." He heard the brisk and resigned order from Clint, feeling his heart clench painfully as Natasha thrust the sceptre into the machine's centre. The portal began to shrink, Steve's lungs with it. Then suddenly Iron Man fell through and oxygen once again rushed into him.

"He's not slowing down," Thor remarked gravely, twirling his hammer around in preparation to take off. At that moment Steve desperately wished he could fly, wanting nothing more than to catch Tony and hold him. As it was he and Thor watched in surprise as the Hulk jumped and caught Iron Man, landing a little ways away and rolling the man off him in apparent disgust. The soldier and the god raced over, Steve shouldering past Thor to reach Tony first and rip off the faceplate. His world tinged grey at the sight of the motionless face, the dark arc reactor. The captain bit his lip to prevent a sob from escaping, and he was just about to proclaim him as dead to the others when Hulk roared, scaring the crap out of everyone. Tony jolted awake and colour instantly flooded back into Steve's vision.

"Please tell me you kissed me," Tony smiled impishly. Steve couldn't help laughing in relief, a few barely noticeable tears trickling down his cheeks. He leaned forward, not caring about the rest of the team, and planted a passionate kiss against Tony's lips. The group was silent except for Thor, who raised his hammer and cheered loudly, shouting out in joy: "BLESSED MY BRETHREN ON THIS UNION!"

Steve pulled away reluctantly, _I love you too._ The dazzling expression he received made him realize he would do anything to keep Tony smiling like that.

_I'm glad_, the genius thought in amusement, _But I think you should really kiss me again._ Steve laughed and did just that.

* * *

It was night now; after the battle and Tony's stunt with the missile Fury had decided they would help in clean up tomorrow. He said they deserved a rest and a chance to be together without having to worry. So there they were, curled up together in Tony's ridiculously large bed. Steve cradled his soulmate protectively to his chest, the near-death experience still fresh in his mind. He leaned down, pressing his nose into Tony's hair and breathing deeply, kissing the top of his head after. "You're such a sap," Tony grumbled in mock irritation, wiggling closer despite his protests.

"And you're a hypocrite," Steve replied with a laugh.

"I'm your hypocrite," Tony looked up and batted his eyelashes excessively at his bonded.

Steve simply hummed in agreement, reaching down in between them to lace their fingers together with one hand, the other curled around Tony. The billionaire grasped Steve's shirt with his free hand as though the other man would be pulled away in a moment's notice. He looked up, and Steve knew exactly what he wanted, leaning down to comply and give him a tender kiss. _I love you_, Tony said again, affection clear through the bond. Steve mirrored the emotion, kissing him repeatedly.

_I love you too; you're the only one for me._

* * *

**A/N: So I don't know if there'll be a sequel or not. If enough people want one I might consider it :) Please review and I hope you enjoyed it!**


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